Structure for supporting folded garments within a transportation container



May 27, 1952 P. H. SIMONSEN 2,597,904

. STRUCTURE F OR SUPPORTING FOLDED GARMENTS WITHIN A TRANSPORTATION CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 1950 Eima I N V EN TOR lllLllw:

May 27, 1952 P. H. SIMONSEN 2,597,904

STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING FOLDED GARMENTS WITHIN A TRANSPORTATION CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1950 flaw/566297077613 y 1952 P. H. SIMONSEN 2,597,904

STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING FOLDED GARMENTS WITHIN A TRANSPORTATION CONTAINER I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 1, 1950 INVENTOR. fizz'zzks'mams'en,

JiZav/ g May 27, 1952 p, H s o s 2,597,904

STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING FOLDED GARMENTS WITHIN A TRANSPORTATION CONTAINER Filed Nov. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING FOLDED GARMENTS WITHIN A TRAN SPORTA- TION CONTAINER 14 Claims. 1

- This invention relates to improvements in forms for supporting folded garments within transportation containers against undue wrinkling or creasing.

The invention has for an object to provide novel means for supporting mens suits or women's tailored suits in a folded condition in such manner as to prevent undue wrinklin or creasing of the garments when packed Within boxes orlike carrying containers for transportation.

The invention has for a further object to provide arment supporting means for the stated purpose which, when the garment, and especially a garment of the coat type, is applied in folded relation thereto, will securely hold the garment against shifting about within a box or other container into which it is packed for transportation, while at the same time so disposing the folds of the garment, and particularly the folded sleeves of a garment of the coat type, that puckering or wrinkling of said sleeves in the vicinity of the junctures thereof with the shoulders of such garment is prevented, and also so as to prevent creasing of the garment body and garment sleeves. M 1

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the invention. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.. 1 is a face view of the hanger member. of the garment supporting structure; Fig. 2 is a side or edge elevational view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken 1 online 33 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a face view of the folder member of Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of an open boxshowing the hanger member of the garment supporting structure with a coat mounted there.- on as initially deposited in said box; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view, taken on line 1-1 in Fig. 6, the box being omitted; Fig; also a front elevational view of the box and hanger member supported garment as disposed therein, with the folder member operatively applied'to the latter preparatory to final folding f of the garments; Fig. 9 isa fragmentary transa verse sectional view, taken on line 9'9 in Fig. 8, the box being omitted; and Fig. lOis a front elevational view of the open box with part broken 2 finally folded condition ready for enclosure in the box when the latter is closed.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the hanger member of the garment supporting structure comprises a body ll formed from a suitable sheet material of substantial rigidity, such e. g. as cardboard. Said body H is provided at its upper end with a central neck portion 12 having at its free end a forwardly projecting extension I3 which is doubled back upon itself as at H, thus providing a hook-like formation I5 which projects forward substantially right angularly to the front face plane of the body I I. The body II is provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined top margins l6 which extend in opposite directions from said neck'portion I2, and which respectively terminate in rounded shoulder portions I! that merge with the side margins of the body H. The body II is of a length approximating the length of a coat from neck to waistline thereof."

A'dju-stably mounted in connection with the body ll of the hanger member, so as to be respectively disposed at the front face thereof adjacent'to its respective shoulder portions I1, are coat sleev'elfold guiding and supporting devices. Each such device comprises a formation of U- shaped transverse cross-section which is also made of sheet material of substantial rigidity, such e. g. as cardboard, and which provides an outer, longitudinally extending, rounded back section l8, from opposite sides of which extend inwardly projecting side sections l9 spaced apart to provide an intermediate fold receiving space 20. The free margins 2| of the side sections l9 ar upwardly inclined from their bottom ends toward and so as to converge upon the upper extremity of theback section T8, whereby the device is of generally upwardly tapering conformation, and thus of substantially triangular shape in side elevation. By reason of such conformation, the

' clined top margins l6 and shoulder portions IT,

with a pair of spaced openings or slots 24 and 25.

; away, and showing the supported garments: in These pairs of openings or slots are aligned to incline downwardly and outwardly relative to the central longitudinal axis of the body IL- The carrier arms 23 of the sleeve guiding and supporting devices pass rearwardly or inwardly through the outer openings or slots 24, thence over the rear face of the body II, and thence forwardly or outwardly through the inner openings or slots 25. By this arrangement, said carrier arms may be longitudinally moved or slid relative to the body ll, whereby to permit adjusted disposition of the sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices relative to each other and to .the body H of the hanger member for purposes later herein explained. Sufficient frictional resistance to such movement of the carrier arms is provided for as will retain the same and the devices carried thereby against accidental displacement from any adjusted disposition thereof.

The body II of the hanger member is further provided with a vertical row of spaced openings 26 aligned along the central longitudinal axis of said body. These openings 26 are preferably of the triangular shape shown.

The folder member of the garment supporting structure also comprises a body 21 formed from a suitable sheet material of substantial rigidity, such e. g. .as cardboard. In one form thereof, as shown, the folder member body 21 is provided with a horizontal transverse bottom edge of rounded and substantially circular cross-section, being preferably formed by a bead member 28 which is afi'ixed to and which envelops the bottom marginal portion of the body 21. The side margins 29 of the folder member body 21 are inwardly and upwardly inclined to converge upon .a centrally disposed, upwardly projecting extension at which terminates in a pointed coupler tongue 3| of reduced width, whereby toprovide, at opposite sides thereof, stop shoulders 32 at the junctures of the latter with said extension. struck out from the folder member body 21, above its bottom marginalportion and so as to project right angularly from the rear face thereof, is a centrally located, transversely disposed fender member 33. The folder member body 21 is also provided with a pair of additional similar oblique fender members 34 respectively located in spaced relation at oppositesides of the central longitudina l axis of the body, and arranged in upward and outward inclination, and thus in divergent relation to .saidaxis.

In the use of the garment supporting structure of this invention for packing a mans suit into the body .35 of a box or other carrying container for transportation, the trousers 36 of the suit is first laid within the box body to extend transversely therein with the legs 31 extending exteriorly from a side of the box body. The coat 38 of the suit is next mounted over the 'hanger member body ll so as to be suspended by the shoulder portions v394 from the top of the latter, with the sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices inserted within the interiors of the coat sleeves 40 adjacent the junctures of the arm holes of the latter with the coat shoulder portions 39. When the sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices are thus related to the coat .sleeves, the under or inner side sections of the devices overlie the :back or inner parts of the sleeves, and the outer side sections underlie the front or outer partsof said sleeves; the nose sections 22 of said devices being disposed to abut the peaks '4] of the .sleeves.

After the coat is thus mounted on the hanger member body, the assembly is laid within the box body 35 over the deposited portion of the trousers 36, and the hanger member body II is then attached to the box body, so as to be held against shift therein, by engaging the hook-like formation l5 over and so as to embrace the adjacent end wall of said box body. The assembled hanger member body and coat being thus deposited within the box body, the coat is closed and arranged so that it lies smoothly flat, and then the flattened sleeves 4|] are inswung or inclined inwardly to overlie the front of the coat (see Fig. 6). When the sleeves are thus inswung, external folds 42 are .formed in the material of the front or outer parts thereof, which folds extend downwardly from the peaks 4| of said sleeves. These folds 42, if not properly guided and supported, are likely to cause puckering or wrinkling of the sleeve material in the vicinity of the juncture of the sleeves with the coat body, and under pressure of overfolded garment parts are likely to become sharply creased to the detriment of the appearance of the coat when unpacked and worn. The presence of the sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices will avoid these undesirable results since the devices provide means whereby the folds 42 can be symmetrically and smoothly formed or shaped, and then supported against creasing pressure. To this end, the external folds 42 are turned about the free edge of the outer side "sections iii of the devices, with the inturned sleeve material tucked into the receiving spaces 20 between the outer ,and inner side sections [8, thus forming guarded internal folds 43 (see Fig. 7). It will be observed that, under these circumstances, the external folds 42 are supported in onset spaced relation to the internal folds 43, so that these folds cannot be flatly pressed together and creased.

In garments of small size, the shoulder breadth is narrower and the skirt length shorter than in garments of larger sizes. Consequently, for smaller sizes of garments the sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices are moved inwardly one toward the other and upwardly by sliding the obliquely disposed carrier arms 23 inward, and for larger sizes of garments, said devices are moved outwardly and downwardly, thus in the first case spacing and raising the devices to accommodate the narrower shoulders and shorter skirt of the small size garment, and in the second case, to more widely space and lower the devices to accommodate the broader shoulders and longer skirts of medium or large size garments.

After the hanger member supported coat is thus preliminarily arranged within the box body 35, the folder member is applied over the face of the coat so that its rounded bottom 'edgeor bead member 28 is disposed across the mid-portion of said coat. The folder member body 21 .is then coupled with .the hanger member body H by inserting the coupler tongue 3| of its upwardly projecting extension 30 into a selected opening '26 of the hanger member body, according to the skirt length of the coat to be accommodated (see Fig. '8). When the folder member body is 'thus operatively assembled with the hanger member body and with the coat supported 'by the latter, the fender members 33 and 34 will, by abutment upon the face of the coat, fend the folder member body 2'! in offset spaced relation to the latter, so that the weight of overfolded garment portions will not press the folder member body 21 against the flattened coat sleeves with risk of undesirably creasing said sleeves. It will be noted that the central fender member 33 'is disthe bounds of the box body 35.

posed between the coat sleeves, while the ob- 'liquely disposed fender members 34 are respectively positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to the sleeves, thus providing a three point SIBBVBS.

The folder member being applied as above described, the skirt of the coat is thereupon up-' swung and folded over the rounded bottom edge or head member 28 so as to overlie the upper portion of the coat. The coat is thus folded lengthwise upon itself for containment within After this is done, the legs 31 of the trousers are infolded over the assembly for containment within the box body 35 (see Fig. whereupon the box cover 44 can be brought into closed relation to the box body, and the packing of the garments is complete.

From the above it will be clear that the novel garment supporting means according to this invention will support the garments served thereby in a compact folded condition, and in such manner as to avoid risk of wrinkling and creasing thereof. Since the hanger member body is firmly attached to the box body by the hook-like formation of its neck portion, the garments will be firmly held against shift within the container into which they are packed for transportation, and thus further guarded against mussing and wrinkling.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container comprising a hanger member and a cooperative folder member, the

hanger member comprising a body of substantially rigid sheet material peripherally shaped to provide shoulder portions at its upper end by which a garment mounted thereon is suspended, garmentsleeve fold guiding and supporting devices carried by said hanger member adjacent the shoulder portions thereof, the folder member also comprising a body of substantially rigid sheet material, said folder member being adapted to overlie portions of a garment mounted on the hanger member, said folder member having a transverse bottom edge portion about which lower portions of said garment can be folded to"- overlie said folder member, and said hanger member and folder member having cooperative means for detachably connecting the same together in operative assembled relation.

2. A support for packing garments within a transportation container according to claim 1 wherein the folder member is provided with fender means projecting angularly from its under face to offset the body thereof from the underlying garment and garment sleeves as supported by the hanger member.

3. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for adjusting the respective sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices carried by the hanger member both longitudinally and laterally on the latter.

4. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for adjusting the respective fold guiding and supporting devices carried by the hanger member both longitudinally and laterally on the latter, and wherein the folder member is provided with fender means projecting angularly from its under face to offset the body thereof from the underlying garment and garment sleeves as supported by the hanger member.

5. A sup-port for packing folded garments Within a transportation container according to claim I wherein the hanger member is provided atits upper end with a central neck portion terminating in a forwardly projecting hook-like formation adapted to engage over a container body wall to hold said hanger member against shift when deposited with a garment mounted thereon within the container body.

6. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim 5 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device comprises a substantially rigid body of U-shaped transverse cross-section to provide spaced apart side sections forming an intermediate sleeve fold receiving s ace, the free margins of said side sections inclining inwardly and upwardly from the bottom margins thereof, whereby to provide an acute nose section at th upper end of the device.

7. A support for packing folded garments within a'transportation container according to claim 5 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device comprises a substantially rigid body of U-shaped transverse cross-section to' provide spaced apart side sections forming an intermediate sleeve fold receiving space, the free margins of said side sections inclining inwardly and upwardly from the bottom margins thereof, whereby to provide an acute nose section at the upper end of the device, each device having a carrier arm projecting from the free side margin of the under side section thereof in the plane of the latter, and said hanger member having means to slidably support said carrier arms, whereby the devices can be adjusted both longitudinally and laterally on the hanger member.

8. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim-5 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and sup-- porting device comprises a substantially rigid body of U-shaped transverse cross-section to provide spaced apart side sections forming an intermediate sleeve fold receiving space, the free margins of said side sections inclining inwardly and upwardly from the bottom margins thereof, whereby to provide an acute nose section at the upper end of the device, each device having a carrier arm projecting from the free side margin of the under side section thereof in the plane of the latter, said hanger member having a pair of spaced openings adjacent each side thereof which are disposed in inwardly and upwardly inclined aligned relation and through which the respective carrier arms are slidably threaded whereby to support said devices for adjustment on the hanger member both longitudinally and laterally thereof.

9. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container comprising a hanger member and a cooperative folder member eachformed by a body of substantially rigid sheet material, the hanger member being peripherally shaped to provide at its top end a central neck portion and shoulder portions oppositely extending therefrom by which a garment mounted the folder member being peripherally shaped to provide a rounded transverse bottom edge portion and a central extension at its upper end tervminating in a coupler tongue of reduced width,

said folder member being adapted to overlie upper portions of a garment mounted on the hanger member whereby lower portions of said garment can be upwardly folded about the bottom edge portion of said folder member to overlie the latter, and said hanger member having a vertical row of spaced openings for selective reception of the coupler tongue of the folder member whereby to detachably connect said members together in selected longitudinally adjusted relation according to length of the supported garment.

10. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim 9 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device comprises a substantially rigid body of U-shape-d transverse cross-section to providespaced apart side sections forming an intermediate sleeve fold receiving space, the free margins of said side sections inclining inwardly and upwardly from the bottom margins thereof, whereby to provide an acute nose section at the upper end of the device.

111. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container according to claim 10 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device is provided with a carrier arm projecting from the free side margin of its under side section in the plane thereof, and wherein the hanger member is provided adjacent each side thereof with a pair of spaced openings disposed in inwardly and upwardly inclined relation and through which the respective carrier arms are slidably threaded whereby to support said devices for adjustment on the hanger member both longitudinally and laterally thereof.

12. A support for packing folded garments within a transportation container comprising a hanger member and a cooperative folder member each formed bya body of substantially rigid sheet material, the hanger member being peripherally shaped to provide at its top end a central neck portion and shoulder portions oppositely extend ing therefrom by which a garment mounted thereon is suspended, said neck portion terminating in a forwardly projecting hook-like formation adapted to'engage over a container body wall to hold the hanger member against shift when deposited with a garment mounted thereon within the container body, garment sleeve fold guiding and supporting devices carried by the hanger member adjacent the shoulder portions thereof, the folder member being peripherally shaped to provide a .rounded transverse bottom edge portion and a central extension at its upper end terminating in a coupler tongue of reduced width, said folder member being adapted to overlie upper portions of a garment mounted on the hanger member whereby lower portions of said garment can be upwardly folded about the bottom edge portion of said folder member to overlie the latter, the foldermember having a plurality of fender members projecting angularly from its under face to offset the body thereof from the underlying garment and garment sleeves as supported by the hanger member, .and said hanger member having a central vertical row of spaced openings for selective reception of the coupler tongue of the folder member whereby to detachably connect said members together in selected longitudinally adjusted relation according to length of the supported garment.

13. A support for packing folded .garments within a transportation container according to claim 12 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device comprises a substantially rigid body of U-shaped transverse cross-section to provide spaced apart side sections forming an intermediate sleeve fold receiving space, the free margins of said side sections inclining upwardly and inwardly from the bottom margins thereof, whereby to provide an acute nose section at the upper end of the device.

14. A support for packing garments within a transportation container according to claim 13 wherein each sleeve fold guiding and supporting device is provided with a carrier arm projecting from the free margin of its under side section in the plane thereof, and wherein the hanger memher is provided adjacent each side thereof with a pair of spaced openings disposed in inwardly and upwardly inclined relation and through which the respective carrier arms are slidably threaded whereby to support said devices for adjustment on the hanger member both longitudinally and laterally thereof.

- PETER H. SIMONSEN.

No references cited. 

